antlat wrote:What people seem to have forgotten, is that in the previous Test matches agreement, it only included Tier 1 nations. This is why the Tier 2 nations have had to fight tooth and nail to get fixtures against Tier 1 nations. There was no obligation for Tier 1 to play against anyone other than amongst themselves.

This current announcement of the Global Calendar for the first time ever in Rugby includes Tier 2 nations from the beginning. A step in the right direction.

I really wished that World Rugby's next big push is to establish all encompassing regional championships (Tier 1, 2 and 3 nations all involved) with qualifiers and a final tournament and eliminate the current divisional structures.

Yeah i think the next step will be mandatory regional championships. You could even keep the current 6N and RC structures that way but have mandatory qualifiers in a tiered round format similar to the world cup format now with the divisional rounds, you could even double them up. This is exactly the system South America uses with Argentina. In Europe's case you could keep the championship to 8 teams, if it had to be in a lions tour window you could raise that imo. Together with the new test window system which awards test to t2/3 based on world rankings this gives you a healthy mix of meritocracy both regionaly and globally.

With the mix between Georgia and Romania getting home tests V 6n in July, and with an introduction of a European championship plus qualifiers, this will maintain Georgia and Romania momentum, whilst also giving the next bunch an opportunity regionaly and for t1 to have a closer look at the potential of integration.

antlat wrote:What people seem to have forgotten, is that in the previous Test matches agreement, it only included Tier 1 nations. This is why the Tier 2 nations have had to fight tooth and nail to get fixtures against Tier 1 nations. There was no obligation for Tier 1 to play against anyone other than amongst themselves.

This current announcement of the Global Calendar for the first time ever in Rugby includes Tier 2 nations from the beginning. A step in the right direction.

I really wished that World Rugby's next big push is to establish all encompassing regional championships (Tier 1, 2 and 3 nations all involved) with qualifiers and a final tournament and eliminate the current divisional structures.

Thanks for somebody pointing out what the benefits are de facto. Thanks, this makes sense.

How to grow rugby worldwide?Look at the world ranking in July. Teams ranked 1-10 have to play one team from 11-20 (they don't play in a regular competition) away the next year. 11-20 play 21-30 away and so on. Yes, it really is that simple.

thatrugbyguy wrote:Professional leagues have to come from more than the US. We need more of them have to sprout up in other places. Canada, Spain, Brazil, Germany, China, etc. Combine that with Japan and Romania that's when the tide might start turning in there being a genuine power shift in world rugby. This is why there needs to be outside investment to help foster these type of nations. China's already got help in that regard, we need it for other nations too.

If a league ever reached MLS level of funding/interest in the US or another massive market it would be enough. Its easy to use the draw of a national cap to keep players local when the marginal difference between salaries is not that great. Its another if a US or Chinese league suddenly starts offering salaries of double to triple the average with lower taxes. I reckon WR would be downright polite if all of the best T1 players were suddenly playing abroad.

Datiko wrote:You malign football but football has eclipsed rugby by every measurable standard. More people watch it, more people play it, more people attend it live, players make more money, and its video game is one of the most played in the world. Kids in all markets are being bombarded by football while rugby is happy to sit in its private little corner playing the same game over and over again.

Well summed up. One reason football works so well at international level is that players from smaller, poorer countries like Ivory Coast or Croatia or Uruguay can make their money from club wages, but still represent their countries in World Cups. Rugby's central contracts model will always benefit richer countries (and encourage players from smaller countries to switch allegiance so they can make more money).

thatrugbyguy wrote:Professional leagues have to come from more than the US. We need more of them have to sprout up in other places. Canada, Spain, Brazil, Germany, China, etc. Combine that with Japan and Romania that's when the tide might start turning in there being a genuine power shift in world rugby. This is why there needs to be outside investment to help foster these type of nations. China's already got help in that regard, we need it for other nations too.

Japan should be the first one to break through. The world cup is a massive opportunity. I hope that the corporations and the JRFU don't sqaunder it. The Top League has got a window to really make something of the competition and rugby as a whole in Japan, one had to wonder if the corporations are even interested in it becoming little no more than a tool to show face though.

Datiko wrote:You malign football but football has eclipsed rugby by every measurable standard. More people watch it, more people play it, more people attend it live, players make more money, and its video game is one of the most played in the world. Kids in all markets are being bombarded by football while rugby is happy to sit in its private little corner playing the same game over and over again.

Well summed up. One reason football works so well at international level is that players from smaller, poorer countries like Ivory Coast or Croatia or Uruguay can make their money from club wages, but still represent their countries in World Cups. Rugby's central contracts model will always benefit richer countries (and encourage players from smaller countries to switch allegiance so they can make more money).

France is a club system. The only thing stopping Ivorian rugby from doing what their football counterparts did is lack of initiative.

Romania is a club system. So far their league has benefitted mostly Islanders and South Africans (rather than, say, Hungarians or Ukrainians).

4N wrote:Romania is a club system. So far their league has benefitted mostly Islanders and South Africans (rather than, say, Hungarians or Ukrainians).

I don't see how Hungarians and Ukrainians can play in Super Liga. Two years ago, U Cluj, which was the worst rated team in SL defeated Hungarian national team with 131 - 5 in a friendly match played with to celebrate 65 years since club founded its rugby section. I think at this level they would struggle even in Romanian second division.

About Ukraine, although the situation is not exactly the same, since Ukraine plays at a higher level, there aren't any Ukrainian players who can play in SL. Even before the war, very few were good enough to sign with Russian clubs. Still, Romanian clubs tried to sign some T3 players (from Serbia to U Cluj and Timisoara, from Tunisia to U Cluj and a fair share of Moldovans.

This summer, Poli Iasi which was recently promoted from second division won easily (40-0) in Moldova versus a local XV made of players who played for Moldovan clubs (Sporting ASEM, Lupii-Albi, USEFS, Electromas Tiraspol). Given this conditions, I don't see how in near future neighbouring countries, except maybe Moldova, can benefit of SL.

Finally, it is a professional championship and clubs sponsors' want result thus is normal to hire players from T1 or T2 nations.

thatrugbyguy wrote:Japan should be the first one to break through. The world cup is a massive opportunity. I hope that the corporations and the JRFU don't sqaunder it. The Top League has got a window to really make something of the competition and rugby as a whole in Japan, one had to wonder if the corporations are even interested in it becoming little no more than a tool to show face though.

The last RWC put 200 million pounds into the RFU's coffers, Japan's hosting could set their Union up with enough development funds to be T1 Ready by 2025.

We know there was significant crowd increases at Top League matches after the last World Cup, and both matches against Scotland last year got crowds of over 25,000 in two of the World Cup venues. They are playing Australia at Yokohama in November, anything over 50,000 for that game and I think that's a sign Rugby has started making inroads in the country. The World Cup might be far more successful than most of us expect.

Oh i expect the world cup to be a great success, and i can see some major sponsors getting involved in Japanese rugby on the back of it. The bureaucracy is what worries me in terms of a real legacy. Rugby is a niche enough sport as it is, you really need to build on something like a world cup and you'd have to question the will power of the JRFU based on the steps (or the lack of) they've taken so far leading up the 2019 world cup. I hope that they release a strategic plan going forwrd.

ihateblazers wrote:Oh i expect the world cup to be a great success, and i can see some major sponsors getting involved in Japanese rugby on the back of it. The bureaucracy is what worries me in terms of a real legacy. Rugby is a niche enough sport as it is, you really need to build on something like a world cup and you'd have to question the will power of the JRFU based on the steps (or the lack of) they've taken so far leading up the 2019 world cup. I hope that they release a strategic plan going forwrd.

Precisely. For the RWC to have a meaningful impact on Japanese rugby the JRFU needs to be laying out its strategic vision now. My money is on the RWC being moderately successful, a short term burst in interest, then back to baseball and soccer for the average Japanese fan.

I dunno about that. I don't pretend to know what people in Japan actually like but that world cup performance really did seem to usher in some new fans. I remember watching a Japan home test match a few years ago, solid crowd in, maybe 10,000, but there was almost zero atmosphere inside the stadium, no real noise from the crowd unless something important happened. It was almost like they were waiting for someone to tell them they could cheer. Compare that to the matches against Scotland last year and there was a real buzz and energy in the stadium.

Datiko wrote:Precisely. For the RWC to have a meaningful impact on Japanese rugby the JRFU needs to be laying out its strategic vision now. My money is on the RWC being moderately successful, a short term burst in interest, then back to baseball and soccer for the average Japanese fan.

They've got two problems:1. The silly four-groups-of-five WC system. It will be hard for Japan to reach the knockout stage. Such a shame the 24-team format wasn't considered as Japan would've surely reached the second round.2. Capitalising on any WC success. They're not in the 6N or RC. How do WC converts get to see the Blossoms after 2019, in meaningful competition?

thatrugbyguy wrote:I dunno about that. I don't pretend to know what people in Japan actually like but that world cup performance really did seem to usher in some new fans. I remember watching a Japan home test match a few years ago, solid crowd in, maybe 10,000, but there was almost zero atmosphere inside the stadium, no real noise from the crowd unless something important happened. It was almost like they were waiting for someone to tell them they could cheer. Compare that to the matches against Scotland last year and there was a real buzz and energy in the stadium.

Another way to look at it is that Scotland is a big name draw. Of course more fans will show up for it and be excited, especially at the T2 level. The attendance was good but neither game was full capacity. Flash forward to the Autumn internationals and the JPN v ARG match in Japan had lower attendance than GEO v JPN did in Tbilisi despite the Tokyo having a population of nearly 4x Georgia as a whole. I think the difference with Scotland was a high profile tour that drove casual fans to make the trip to the stadium rather than any massive change in the sport's audience.

NaBUru38 wrote:Japan isn't ready for the Rugby Championship. First the Sunwolves must improve.

Actually, that plan is better than Pumas first, Jaguares second.

I would say, that both approaches have their value. Argentine rugby should have gotten enough money through the Rugby Championship to run a Super Rugby side, and already had good players in their national team.

Japan meanwhile has enough money to run a Super Rugby franchise and hopefully improves, so that they can join the Rugby Championship.